


The Grand Chef and The Great Wizard (Home)

by PrincesaParkerina



Series: Vanilla/Frutilla [7]
Category: Junior Express (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Food Issues, I like to write drama and novela far more than actually reading it, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-04-07 21:36:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19093612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincesaParkerina/pseuds/PrincesaParkerina
Summary: Francis might have accidentaly said something to Teen Arnoldo that hurts the Future Grand Chef's feelings deeply,starting a spiral of events that went easily out of his control.





	The Grand Chef and The Great Wizard (Home)

**Author's Note:**

> This idea wouldn't quit nagging at me for a while,then 12k words magically surged.

Arnoldo set another large forkful of delicious pineapple pie in front of Francis' mouth,eagerly prompting the aspiring magician to open it,Francis whined involuntarily,his slightly swollen belly groaning in protest.

He didn't really want to refuse it,the pie was amazing,'they' were nearly done with it,actually but Francis might have had a _little_  too much,the skilled teen really should set a limit to how many desserts Arnoldo should be allowed to make in one night.

Francis is just really still not used to going from barely eating one meal a day to this outright Banquet Arnoldo does everytime he's at the talented teen's place.

Even Julio who had joined in this Dessert feast earlier,had already gone upstairs to sleep long ago.

Banana shakes,strawberry milkshakes,raspberry and vanilla cakes,pumpkin and pineapple pies,chocolate dipped cookies still lay on the dining table.

Limits exist,but not with the proud aspiring Chef close by.Francis moved around a bit uncomfortable in his chair,it saddened him to admit he really just couldn't take another bite without feeling extremely guilty,the aspiring magician breathed in and out,tugging down at the now too tight knit purple sweater Topa's abuela made for him.

If Francis knew he couldn't handle or shouldn't eat this much food,why did he just stood by and helped Arnoldo bake everything the future Grand Chef wanted anyway? 

Short answer? Cooking makes Arnoldo happy.

Long answer? 

Several hours earlier the brunet teen came in ... 'discreetly' protecting his right arm,Francis had tried to touch it,ask if there was something wrong,if he could help in any way,it's definitely not the first time the older teen shows up at Francis' house injured in some way,some times worse than others.

Today it didn't seem that bad from the looks of it but the scrawny,curly-haired teen gets worried all the same.

Arnoldo had refused his help,saying he was fine as usual,yet when he took his red coat off,hanging it by the door,the sleeves of his light blue shirt rode up considerably,showing Francis disturbing glimpses of a nasty,seemingly mostly fresh burn mark on his right forearm.

The curly-haired younger teen definitely questioned his good friend about it,Arnoldo looked instantly alarmed and terrified,hiding it back immediately,hissing in pain in the process,telling Francis it was only an accident at his Dad's kitchen,he was incompetent and sloppy,just like usual,nothing worth worrying about.

Nothing really serious,he said.

The raven-haired teen didn't buy it at all,Arnoldo is excellent and usually very attentive in the kitchen,specially considering that here he's not even doing it professionally,he might get distracted sometimes...most times but the teen apprentice always tells Francis to be careful around the stove or to not touch a hot pan,pot or tray with your bare hands.

Francis' instincts just tell him there is more to that burn and the younger teen is going to trust them.

He sure can't trust Arnoldo's words on this.

It brought them here,surrounded by enough food for pretty much 20 or more people.

Talk about someone whose relaxing mechanism after an entire day cooking is just... cooking and baking some more.

Still,Francis just doesn't have the heart to stop him,perhaps there might be a large difference between cooking at the kitchen of your dad's Restaurant _AND_  simply baking sweet goods at a friend's house late on a Saturday night,the aspiring dancer _really_ didn't want to be the one to say this.

"Arnoldo.... I.... think I've had enough,I ate ... enough already..." Francis said rather awkwardly,rubbing his own somewhat large stomach stiffly,trying hard to be careful with his words,last thing the talented teen wants is Arnoldo thinking he doesn't like the brunet cook's food,after all this.

Also it would be a bit absurd for Arnoldo to think that,after how much of it Francis already ate this night alone.

The thing is with the short-tempered,large teen you just never really know,boy's skin was literally burning earlier,maybe that was it,Arnoldo's temper got so heated,he started to combust.Francis nearly snorted at the mental image.

If only. 

How to say No to someone without hurting their feelings? Without making things worse? Arnoldo just already seems to go through so much and he's beautiful when he smiles,Francis is always very tempted to cover those round,tanned cheeks in kisses.

The raven-haired teen just doesn't want to stress the boy with light brown hair even further.

Also he could really do with Arnoldo talking excitedly about whatever he likes,smiling and singing more often.

At this moment,the cook apprentice looked very amused actually,shaking his head,chortling good-naturedly and patting the younger teen's rather enlarged belly himself,keeping it from lingering there,like he wished he could do,like he knows his dad would have done.

As if Francis couldn't look even prettier than he already is.

Yet the curly-haired teen still manages to do so everyday.

"Nonsense,Francis!!! We barely started!!! You want something else then? I was thinking of bitter chocolate sundae,you are going to love it,Francis,you'll see-" Arnoldo started to stand up,dark eyes sparkling,rambling passionately,fork with the remaining slice of pie going in the direction of his own mouth.

It would be the first he'd had all night,Arnoldo had yet to realize he actually only fed everything he baked to Francis tonight.

It was the intention,wasn't it? Make sure Francis and his family had dinner (or just skip to dessert) and if he can provide it,what's the issue? 

He gets more time away from 'home', _Francis_ gets some actual,real food. 

No one loses-

"NO!!!" the curly-haired teen blurted out suddenly,way too loud,startling Arnoldo who gripped tightly to the fork in his hand,abruptly stopping himself mid-bite,outrageous expression adorning his round features once he looked back at his skilled friend,who was curling in on himself right now under the scrutinizing,narrowed gaze,pulling at his own sweater,looking embarassedly away.

"Francis!!! Don't do this to me!!! Can't you see I'm too young to die!!!!" the brunet,future cook exclaimed,one hand going to his heart in an overdramatic manner,the other,back on the task of feeding himself the remaining slice of pie,Francis fiddled with one loose strand of wool from the sleeve of his purple garment,forcing himself to look back at the distressed,large teen beside him,instinctively reaching out to pat Arnoldo's arm stiffly as a hopefully,comforting gesture.

"I'm sorry,Arnoldo,I....I just don't want anything else at all right now,I ate too much already,I kind of need to watch my weight,you see,I really can't get fat or I-" Francis interrupted himself,stopping mid-pat once he heard the sound of the fork clicking against a hard,glass surface,abruptly falling on the table in front of them as if in slow motion.

Loud and clear against the sudden,deafening silence around the two boys and the entire world surrounding them.

Arnoldo was paralyzed in place,trembling large hands opening and closing into fists and the salty water forming at the corners of his wide,dark brown eyes the only indication he could still move at all.Francis' own dark olive orbs went wide as well,his mouth agape.

Arnoldo gripped the table in front of them tightly with both hands,eyes closing shut,inhaling and exhaling sharply,flinching nearly violently away from the younger teen's stiff touch,making Francis realize his hand had lingered by the cook apprentice's strong arm for a little too long.

The responsible teen became aware too late of the huge mistake he had made.

It's _Arnoldo_ ,of _course_ he took it personally,Francis wanted to hit himself over the head a hundred times.

Perhaps until he falls unconscious and sleeps for the next 5 days so he won't blurt out anything else this stupid in the middle of his too full and tired to care state.

"Arnoldo,it's because of my Dance and Ballet classes,I swear!!!! An authentic Ballet costume can be very expensive and if I get too big- No,I'm _sure_ I can phrase this better....Arnoldo, wait!!!!" Francis stood up from his chair with slight difficulty,trying to follow an eerily silent yet frantic aspiring Chef walking all over the kitchen,gathering his things and putting them on his backpack,keeping himself from looking back.

How could Francis do this to him? Arnoldo genuinely thought he was different and that he liked the future Chef the way he is. 

The same way the stubborn,Italian teen stuck around despite the miserable, _shameful_ state he first found Francis in when they met.

Francis was weakened,vulnerable,severely hurt and needing help,Arnoldo provided that for the raven-haired boy as anyone with common sense would,they came to know each other well enough,becoming very good friends,helping each other in many other circunstances or just hanging out whenever they could.

They didn't share that many interests,actually,most of the ones Francis still engages into,Arnoldo had to leave behind for 'greater purposes' as his dad would put it.

Things like singing,dancing,drawing,painting and doing sports like Tennis.Francis loves Magic and he has the foolish dream of pursuing it,Arnoldo is sure it's all tricks and illusions,none of it it's real and someday Francis will wake up and realize just that.

Still,Arnoldo and Francis had enough topics to talk about and bond over,simply enjoying the other's company for the most part.

Turns out,Francis is really just like everyone else and Arnoldo's dad was right all along.

Oh,how confident was the proud teen apprentice that he could finally prove the older Italian Chef wrong,he was sure this was _the one._

The brunet teen loathes to admit to himself that perhaps,Don Enzo really is the only person who can tolerate him and love him wholeheartedly,with all his attributes,good and bad.

The very same man who burned Arnoldo's arm against the stovetop for thinking his son may be flirting with Inés Pinaca,the experienced chef's current 'girlfriend' who's only a year older than the stubborn young waiter himself.

Arnoldo was not flirting with anyone,he was merely doing his job,those zucchinis won't get chopped on their own, _she_ is the one constantly trying advances on him when all the large waiter could think about was not getting in trouble today and.... _Francis_.

The very same Francis who's watching his own weight because he doesn't want to look fat like Arnoldo.

Well,he is sure feeling many levels of stupid right now.

The young apprentice sighed in resignation,rubbing one hand against the other in a gesture that simply did not feel comforting in the slighest at the moment,this also definitely means he is defeated and will have to give in to his dad's persistent wishes soon.

The man constantly pushing the boundaries of their relationship and telling Arnoldo the boy's lucky he is kind enough to not outright jump his son in the middle of the night really doesn't help matters at all.

Or allows Arnoldo to ever sleep peacefully at all.

There is no one else for him,who would want to be with him,at least anyone who isn't 30 years older plus directly related to him or someone who just keeps trying to jeopardize his job and possible career out of pure spite.

If he just 'insists' on looking like this.

Even if the aspiring Chef himself doesn't really understand why,he sees no real issues with being overweight,he's healthy...enough and he finds himself to be very handsome and attractive that way regardless.

Yet most people don't seem to think so.

Worst of all, _Francis_ doesn't seem to think so.

Unless..... 

Arnoldo's dark eyes flashed brightly for a brief moment,a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips while he struggled to fit his dad's large pan back inside his bag.

The future Grand Chef just had a great idea to save his nearly doomed relationship with Francis.

The talented,beautiful curly-haired teen will finally love him,his disgusting,old dad will hopefully no longer find him desirable in any way whatsoever.

Everyone wins really.

Francis was breathing heavily,it was not easy to follow the taller,surprisingly quick and agile older teen around the kitchen at his own current state,suddenly realizing that Arnoldo might have fed him way more than he himself actually ate.

The raven-haired teen tried to make a mental note to give this more thought later.

Although right now the aspiring dancer might have as big of an issue as that in hands. 

It wouldn't surprise the pale,lean teen to find out these two issues are actually connected.

"Arnoldo, please,I swear I can explain-"

"You know what,Francis? You should have told me sooner.If you did,all of this could have been easily prevented and I could have started sooner on my plans..." Arnoldo lamented,stopping in his tracks for a moment to give a saddened,disappointed glance at the younger teen,his voice quiet yet full of evident,broken emotion.

The way he spoke with obvious hurt and restraint,stubbornly holding back tears was breaking Francis' heart piece by piece,Arnoldo was almost out the door by now,this isn't happening.

It can't be happening.

How many other people may have told Arnoldo similar things?

Francis just earned his place on that list,he knows he did.

Just one more person to disappoint Arnoldo,to crush the young apprentice's expectations of finding a real friend even less a partner.

Crushed his hopes of finding someone who saw him beyond his appearance.

Francis genuinely did,he did find Arnoldo attractive from the day they met,but he also learned quickly about how passionate he is,how dedicated and devoted he is to his dreams,how much effort the young apprentice puts in everything he does,aside from being a great,honest,loyal,caring friend.

With his own troubles and faults,of course,the aspiring cook can be very stubborn,prideful and hot-tempered.

Still Francis is absolutely convinced half of the reason for the older teen's agitated behavior is tied to his 'mystery home life'.

The skilled younger teen can't help Arnoldo with that if the future cook cut him out of his life completely due to some dumb misunderstanding like this.

"Arnoldo,listen to me- Miss Lila,my Ballet teacher,she-" the skinny teen went for the older's injured arm without noticing,forcing the young apprentice to turn around,jumping and wincing in pain,letting the large,blue bag full of his cooking items fall soundly to the ground.

" _Carlos_ ' mom." the older teen said in a deadly tone,making Francis shiver.Arnoldo tried to hold on to his own arm not too firmly yet protectively,so he wouldn't hurt himself much further while he kneeled down to get his things,he hopes none of them are broken or this day will only get much worse.

The stubborn waiter had to admit though that Francis indeed took good care of his harmed arm,the burn ended up just looking more serious than it actually was and the younger teen still patched his distressed friend's arm just to be safe,no further questions about it,Arnoldo was in the mood to bake chocolate cheesecake and it was all thankfully 'in the past' from then on.

Francis is a good,caring,attentive friend,Arnoldo can't lose him even if the aspiring magician also doesn't approve him the way he is.

Nobody's perfect,not even Francis and he'll have to deal with that.

"Arnoldo-" the skilled,curly haired teen tried again,about to kneel down himself to help with the items,the distressed brunet pushed Francis away entirely,standing up with the heavy bag slung over one shoulder,if something was broken,he didn't spot it right away.

Arnoldo lifted one hand,waving his index finger around in the air and finally stopping against the younger's thin lips,managing to silence the aspiring magician out of sheer confusion and frustration.

And something else.

"I genuinely don't understand,Francis,it's a pity.You're friends with Topa,with Patrick!!! They're..... _like me_.Are you pretending to be their friend too? Are you ashamed of us? Be honest with me,Francis.Just this once-"

"Arnoldo,I only meant that I can't really do my Ballet classes-"

"Then you should be glad I'll let you free of _my_ food that keeps 'fattening you up',Francis,Miss Lila wouldn't want that to happen,now would she?"

"Arnoldo...." Francis drawled out wearily,the prideful apprentice opening the front door and descending the small flight of stairs heading for the garage.

"I'm done here,Francis,I'm tired of people not seeing me for anything but how I look...But don't you worry! It shouldn't be an issue anymore soon." the young waiter said with forced joy and teary eyes,a fist in the air in triumph holding his keys while his car made a sound signaling the doors were open.

"Arnoldo,what are you talking about-" 

"Hm...  I wonder how I would look like with blue eyes....and maybe even a mustache." 

Francis blinked and Arnoldo's car was already leaving the driveway.

He couldn't help but let tears of his own stream down his pale cheeks.

Francis looked back startled by the sound of silverware clicking,only to find Julio standing by the abandoned dinner table still full of sweet treats,holding up the fork with the remaining piece of pineapple pie in one hand,huge,gap-toothed goofy grin plastered over his face.

"You're gonna eat this?" 

* * *

"So, _that's_ why Miss Lila didn't accept me in her classes!!! I thought I was just a really bad dancer!" Topa chuckled awkwardly and patted the shoulder of a very impatient,unimpressed and unhappy-looking future Chef whose rolled his eyes while Natalio beside them fixed Arnoldo's blender.

The one that Francis broke,albeit accidentaly on Saturday and if Enzo found out,the teen apprentice was as good as dead.

Or worse.

"That is why my mom what?" Arnoldo and Topa froze at Carlos' voice.

The young drummer and Francis had approached their table as usual,Carlos was casually munching on a green apple while the raven-haired teen bit hesitantly on a regular,red one.Natalio greeted the tall redhead politely with a cheery grin,then sneering and narrowing his big brown eyes at Francis,seemingly without a reason,promptly going back to his work right after as if nothing had happened.

Natalio had been out of town with Mariana,his Uncle and Abuela all weekend,completely out of reach from everyone and not knowing Arnoldo had been desperately looking for him all this time,he does like to have work to do,even if the young handyman would rather be spending more time with Topa since he couldn't take the younger musician on this trip.

Francis knew what the young chef and the curly-haired singer were referring to and he did not like it,Arnoldo kept refusing to talk about the subject altogether the rest of the weekend,resulting in Francis stubbornly not answering back his messages anymore.

The curly-haired teen himself didn't see it,but Julio swears he saw the proud aspiring Chef's car pass by their neighborhood a handful of times yesterday.

If it wasn't for this stupid,pointless misunderstanding,they would very likely had spent the entire day together,like all the other very memorable Sundays before this.

It had only been a day without seeing Arnoldo or knowing if he was okay and the stubborn future chef was very missed already.

Francis might have a problem.

It was now Lunchtime on Monday,Arnoldo and Topa were definitely talking about Francis' unfortunate choice of words that last Saturday night and Natalio was... is that Arnoldo's blender? When did it break? 

God,it does feel like an eternity since Francis was last updated on Arnoldo's life.

He doesn't like this.

"Carlos,I'm sure it's nothing,you know how strict your mom can be sometimes,right? Anyway,Arnoldo,I didn't know your blender was broken! You should have told me! I would have helped!" Francis tried awkwardly,stammering all over his words,running his fingers over the chords of his light blue earbuds nervously,looking around at his friends.

Noticing that the table in front of them had no food in it except for Natalio's side that had a half full cup of raspberry juice with a half eaten grilled cheese sandwich right beside it.

"How could you not know,Francis? You were _there,_ you were the one to break it,actually.Now,please hurry,Natalio,I should really get to English class,I'm afraid I might fail it,surprisingly they taught everything but that back in Italy." Arnoldo stood up in a rush,ignoring Carlos' existence completely for the time being and hurrying to the future luthier's side.

"Don't rush me,Grand Chef,I like my work to be very well done!" exclaimed the tall,crazy-haired brunet,huffing and turning his back to Arnoldo,focusing back on his meticulous work,the shorter of the two huffed back in exasperation,crossing his arms and tapping his fingers,avoiding eye contact with Francis as much as possible,he knows why Carlos is here,the aspiring chef could hear his own belly rumble way too loud for his own ears.

Maybe if he's quick enough he could snatch that cup of raspberry juice without Natalio noticing.

That's how he's been 'cheating' his way through this,only drinking things,the Italian waiter wonders for how long he can trick his stomach into thinking it's actually getting something to eat.

Hopefully long enough for results to be noticeable,by Francis,to be precise.

"Apa,Arnoldo did not bring lunch today." Carlos stated matter-of-factly,putting a lamenting hand over his stomach.Lunchtime was always a feast around the teen apprentice's table,he made a habit of bringing so much food to share with everyone,yet today the only ones here were Topa,Natalio,Carlos and Francis.

And no food on the table,aside from Natalio's modest lunch,it was a strange sight.

Carlos had had issues with Arnoldo during the first few months of the proud,large teen's arrival but they finally came to terms recently once the future Chef's Date Ideas and desserts were what got the tall blue-eyed teen and his longtime crush Patrick Greenfeld to finally get together.

Carlos could swear Arnoldo had been jealous of him and Francis before but that couldn't be since nothing ever really came of it. 

....Right?

Patrick keeps telling Carlos those two are seriously pining for each other and he and the tall drummer should do something about it themselves to return the favor yet Carlos is mostly convinced the two might really be just friends after all.

Also.... the red-haired drummer isn't so sure about this whole 'coming to terms' thing,since the prideful chef is back to glaring daggers at him like he ate the italian apprentice's favorite dessert before it was time to.

Carlos swore to Francis he'd try to give Arnoldo a chance at being the aspiring Italian Cook's friend and he believes he has been doing his part.

But the feeling has to be mutual first for this to work.

"Yeah,I thought that was weird too,but the _Grand Chef_ there said that if he cooked anything out of his hours at the Restaurant,it would be too tempting to just keep trying the food and he cannot do that anymore." Natalio said with an easy,confident smile,handing the fixed white and yellow blender to Arnoldo's now trembling,beyond anxious hands.

"Natalio...." Topa gritted his teeth,standing up to pull his tall,mustached boyfriend away from the table.

"Hey,I didn't even finish my sandwich!!!" the young musician pulled away from Topa's rather weak hold,grabbing his sub and cup of juice off the table before Carlos could get a hold of them.

"Why?!" the tall,young drummer said simply.

"Oh,it's because Francis told Arnoldo he's fat,same about Topa and that's why Topa can't dance." Natalio said with a hint of anger to his tone this time,letting the short,aspiring singer forcefully lead him away,not even so much as glancing back at the curly-haired teen.

Francis was gaping,giving his apple for Carlos to hold it whose bit on it somewhat nervously,even he was afraid of the smoking fire on the talented,responsible teen's olive eyes,thankfully they were aimed at a somewhat frightened looking Arnoldo.

Francis really can't go a single day without talking to Arnoldo without provoking a catastrophe somehow.

"Arnoldo,what _exactly_ did you tell Topa and Natalio about me? Why can't you cook outside of the restaurant anymore? Why can't you try your own food anymore?" Francis said in a dangerous tone with narrowed,fiery brown-green eyes and furrowed thick eyebrows,stepping ever closer to Arnoldo who hugged the blender tightly to his chest,giving a few steps back,practically hiding behind the appliance as if it was a shield.

He had a few chances of seeing Francis angry,he still looks very pretty but Arnoldo doesn't deem it worth it.

"I-....I told them the truth,Francis And....and it's actually not _only_  my food, _any_ food,now as I said,English Class! Arrivederci!!!"

Arnoldo ran from the cafeteria on a mad,rather dizzy dash,bumping into tables,people around him and nearly falling out the doors on his way out.

Francis knew something wasn't right,he looked back questioningly at Carlos who only shrugged and finished his apple.The curly-haired teen rolled his eyes and pulled his taller friend up.

"Apa."

The aspiring magician started dragging Carlos out of the crowded cafeteria by the collar of his watermelon t-shirt in search for Natalio and Topa,he needed answers and he was going to get them _now_.

* * *

"Arnoldo,I'm so sorry,I don't think I can do this anymore." Topa told his larger friend with a sorrowful expression adorning his round features.

They met at History Class first thing the next morning,the young singer sat beside Arnoldo dejectedly,leaning his elbow over their desk and tapping fingers against his own mouth,avoiding eye contact with the aspiring Chef at all costs.

He tried,he really did,he wanted to apply back to Miss Lila's classes,he really misses dancing also Francis,Harmony,Rulo Ricardo and even Carlos are still attending.

Considering Rulo Rolando has really no interest in that class,he's busy with his own guitar lessons and Natalio is also busy working at his Uncle Santiago's workshop most of the time,Topa may be feeling a little left out.

But no matter what people tell him, _trying_ never seems to be enough when it comes to Topa.

"Do what???" Arnoldo was throughouly confused,setting his book on their desk,he did fear the worst,it has only been barely a day since Topa sealed their agreement,he should have known better....

"I'm really sorry,Arnoldo!!! I tried!!! I swear! Pero Abuela made this beyond delicious strawberry cake covered in chocolate and I-" the future singer was 'kindly' interrupted by Arnoldo groaning dramatically in frustration and banging on their desk,making the items on it jump and perhaps Topa jumped too.

"It has only been a day,Topa!!! How _could_ you???? How can you be this weak??? I work in a kitchen,Topa, and even **_I_** can control myself better than you,I thought you wanted to apply to Carlos' mom's classes again! A deal was made!!! I _trusted_ you..." the young apprentice rambled indignantly.

It seemed like the logical step to go to Topa for help and support with this,the young,brunet singer _is_ Arnoldo's closest friend aside from Francis,the curly-haired singer deals with similar issues to Arnoldo,including issues with his own dad.

The teen apprentice just felt there was something that simply clicked with them,he wasn't sure exactly why.

It's a strong feeling,the need to always make sure Topa is okay and nearby.

Arnoldo doesn't think he might be really crushing on Topa or anything like that although the short-haired teen is very,very cute.

What he feels for Topa seems completely distinct from what he feels for Francis.

Even if the need to protect the both of them from Enzo or whoever else that may try to harm them is very much the same.

The room may be starting to look blurry and spin around Arnoldo again.

"And I do,Arnoldo,I _want_ to-" Topa tried to reach for the aspiring cook's hands,they felt cold to the touch and shook terribly around the aspiring musician's fingers,Arnoldo stubbornly pulled away. 

The Italian brunet shook his head and closed his eyes to try and send this woozyness away,he doesn't get why he still feels so tired,he had a full night's sleep for once in what felt like forever.

Also his dad had been very nice and attentive to him yesterday for once,it was a little weird but better than getting yelled at or hit for no real reason.

Arnoldo will take what he can get really.

Despite the nice break from a near hellish household,he still felt exhausted and even more easily irritable than the usual.

By the way,Arnoldo's pretty sure he only knows one Topa instead of three,he spoke to the one in the middle,that must be the leader of the Topa Clan,right? 

"Then you should try harder,Topa,otherwise no one will ever love you or accept you." Arnoldo said sternly,gesturing frantically to what the brunet singer is pretty sure to be the desk in front of them.

The teen apprentice wobbled in his place,carelessly gathering his things and standing up to find another place to sit,he turned back unsteadily only to get a fistful of bony yet very strong knuckles to his large nose.

This is not very new to Arnoldo,what is new is the thin hand doing it,whoever it belonged to,honestly,the young waiter is barely grasping at his own surroundings at the moment as is.

Is it Friday? Sunday? No,yesterday was Sunday,except he went to Topa's instead of Francis',his dad watched Alien with him once he got back home and actually kept his hands to himself.Is he back at Topa's then? At School? There might be someone talking to him,Arnoldo put an useless hand over his bleeding nose to try and stop the crimson stream,looking up as best he could to the tall figures before him,swaying in his spot.

"You spread lies about Francis and my mom,you tried to convince Topa to starve,I cannot believe I let Francis convince me you were good.You will never be welcomed here." Carlos!!! Many Carlos...es speaking in their usual tones,actually,many pairs of bright blue eyes staring back at the aspiring Chef reasonably furious.

Arnoldo left the classroom with a hand still over his big,bloody nose,walking with great difficulty,he knows too well where the nurse room is,it's not like he goes there that often though,Francis is usually the one who takes care of his injuries.

It's just that the day he met the raven-haired teen,they spent a good amount of time there.

How did it all go so terribly wrong from then???

He only wanted Francis to accept him,now he picked a fight with Carlos and possibly Natalio without even realizing,Francis won't talk to him unless it's about asking why he won't eat and trying to apologize. 

Arnoldo can't bring himself to focus enough on all this to really bother,he's just so hungry,hurt,confused,he hasn't eaten anything since Saturday,he's losing blood,big, black spots are obscuring his vision,there's seemingly no one in the hallway and the teen apprentice could swear Nurse Lupe's room was much closer than this-

Is that Francis by the drinking fountain??? Why is he here?? He should have gone to his Art Class with Don Salvador 10 minutes ag-

"Arnoldo?!!?!"

* * *

"It's all my fault! All my fault! You did this,Francis!!! You might as well have been the one to punch him in the face!" Francis chanted to himself in somewhat loud,relentless whispers,pulling harshly at the long sleeves of his orange shirt,not really bothering to control his tears and sobs.

"Will you quit it,boy! You're making a hole on my floor with all this pacing! Sheesh." Nurse Lupe scolded the short,distressed teen in a warm,worried tone,running an old,wrinkled yet strong hand over thin,soft,long strands of straight,light brown hair that curled unnaturaly at the ends,they belonged to the unconscious,handsome Italian boy laying flat on his back over the worn out mattress.

"I-I'm sorry,Nurse Lupe,I just-" Francis started back on his anxious rambling again,walking with great hesitation back to the bed.

He had been horrified beyond compare,Francis was very late to Don Salvador's class when he spotted a stumbling,bloody-faced Arnoldo falling to the floor just a few feet away,the responsible teen somehow managed to catch the older boy just in time before his head hit the ground which would make matters much worse.

Who could have done this to him?? 

"I know,I know,mi amor,but lamenting isn't going to solve anything,your cute Italian boy's blood sugar is very very low, _dangerously_ so,what he REALLY needs right now is to eat something as soon as possible,so if you-"

"I'M ON IT!" Francis shouted way too quickly,ready to sprint out of the room,yet he couldn't help but glance back with uncertainty taking over his soft face,his dark olive eyes welled up in deep worry at Arnoldo's mostly limp,pale,fragile,vulnerable large form.

He just looks so weak...

How did Francis let things get this bad so fast? 

"I'm sorry,Nurse Lupe but I don't think I can leave him alo-" 

"VAYA AHORA!!! You'll do more good for your boyfriend if you go and find something for him to eat quickly,now scram!!!" Nurse Lupe reluctantly used her stern tone,smiling for a brief moment while she observed Francis running out of her Room in a flash.

He wanted to correct the old,wise woman and say Arnoldo wasn't really his boyfriend like all the other times she did this,but right now Francis just didn't have enough time so he settled for correcting her mentally,the aspiring dancer made a beeline for the cafeteria when he accidentaly bumped into Carlos and shrieked.

Lupe shook her head and sighed to herself, _teenagers,_ what can you do? Arnoldo and Francis weren't troublemaker types that visit her often,the aspiring Chef had come here all of once on his first Day of School to aid Francis and that was it.

The curly-haired teen comes here far more frequently,to bring her a flower,a sugary treat,ask a math question or when Rulo Rolando or Natalio get into fights with people they really shouldn't get themselves involved with in the first place.

The old nurse fixed the bandages a little better on Arnoldo's nose and the fresh ones on his forearm,this boy has definitely a slightly large History with bad injuries and should visit her a little more often than once in a lifetime.

This undoubtedly wasn't ideal,the aspiring cook already barely had enough energy to keep breathing properly and with his nose patched up?

Francis better get back soon. 

The woman with short,white hair frowned down at the still form laying on the bed,she wonders if his case was like the usual troublemaker type,she can't say she knows the Italian boy well enough to guess if he would really get into a fist fight with anyone.

He is not that tall,yet he's heavy and strong,Francis always says the boy has a temper yet he also kept repeating over and over while he was here that the current state of the Italian apprentice was his own fault,so maybe Arnoldo fought with someone over him?

Who could have been and whoever it was already lost this fight even if the large teen seems to have gotten the worst of it because the aspiring dancer's most frequent topic to Lupe has almost always been the teen waiter,it was very sweet and endearing,actually, the way Francis talked about Arnoldo.

Lupe sighed deeply,she roots for them but there will be no 'Them' if Francis keeps taking this long to come back,she thought to herself huffing impatiently,the nurse was sure she made clear enough how urgent this really is.

This boy looks like he haven't eaten in a week,he's too young and cute to die,those long lashes and once tanned,round cheeks must survive.

The old,kind nurse stood up with determination,she doesn't have time to think about her ability to bring humor into any situation,she had to go fetch Francis yet she couldn't leave Arnoldo alone,Lupe looked outside the door to see if someone could watch the Italian teen for a brief moment when she spot a very worried and anxious Topa pacing a hole himself in front of her door,biting whatever was left of his poor nails.

"Nurse Lupe!!! Is Arnoldo-"

"Just get inside,boy.I got places to be and ears to pull."

* * *

"Faster,Carlos!!!! We don't have much time!!!" Francis exclaimed in absolute agony.The older teen shrugged and was about to pop another blueberry into his mouth when the curly-haired teen swatted his hand away.

The young drummer is not very sure why he's here,he was on his way to Nurse Lupe's room to see if Arnoldo was there,Topa had not been very happy with the taller teen for punching the young apprentice and sent Carlos to see if he would be okay,he did it for Topa's sake,he was still furious at Arnoldo.

And everyone's constant insistence that he should try to like the prideful aspiring cook.

The blue-eyed skinny teen had been almost by the door to the Nurse's Room when he was dragged away by a desperate Francis,the taller boy intended to protest until he was pushed in the direction of the cafeteria,now he's here chopping bananas for a crazed Francis just .... because.He does get free food out of this deal the younger,skilled teen wanting him to or not.

Besides from all the situations Carlos' friends put him through,this was far from the weirdest or the worst.

Or so he thought.

"Carlos,please,take this seriously,this is a matter of Life and Death!!! If we don't get this food to Arnoldo-" at that important piece of information,Carlos stopped sloppily slicing the strawberries Francis had just pushed his way altogether,stepping aside and taking them in his hands.

Francis nearly whimpered at the sight and left his place where he was pouring strawberry yogurt into a bowl already full of sliced fruits,pulling the bowl ever closer to him while he finished chopping the oranges and apples Carlos had left unattended a little while ago choosing to munch on them instead.

"Why would I help Arnoldo? He spread awful lies about you and my mom,he told Topa to starve otherwise no one would ever like him,why are _you_  helping that guy? He is bad news,just as I always thought he was,I honestly assumed your judgement was better than this,Francis." Carlos questioned his friend in his monotone,failing to juggle a few avocado seeds in his thin hands,he may or may not be avoiding getting suspended for what he did to Arnoldo.

Carlos is not wrong,he did what anyone would do in his situation or wouldn't they? 

The lean redheaded teen jumped back,letting the large seeds fall completely to the ground once Francis turned around with a harsh expression on his pale face and fat tears streaming down his round cheeks,he had mostly steadily in his hands two covered bowls of fruits drenched in yogurt and a jar or raspberry juice in a tray.

"BECAUSE HE WAS STARVING TOO!!! He was a jerk but I'm the one who started this,he wasn't lying when he said I didn't want to get fat because of your mom's classes,Topa is an excellent dancer,we trained with him for weeks for that test,she was unfair to him and you _have_ to admit it! NOW,are you mad enough at Arnoldo to the point of letting him die and never give a fair chance for either of you to apologize or are you going to help me keep someone I really love and care about alive? It's your choice,really."

* * *

"Arnoldo,Arnoldo,can you hear me,buddy??? I'm so sorry about Carlos,I mean,it's his mom and all so he'd naturally get mad,still....you look pretty bad,you look like he punched the life and color out of you....Arnoldo,say something! I'm really worried...I probably should go get Francis,he'd know what to do in a situation like this..."

Topa was doing the logical thing at a moment like this,desperately shaking the living hell out of Arnoldo's nearly limp,unresponsive large body,then sitting beside him on the thin mattress and shaking the boy who looks eerily similar to him some more,tears welling up at the corners of his kind,dark brown eyes,he had come to be very close friends with the Future Grand Chef,Francis would be devastated to see Arnoldo has left them.

And so would Topa.

"Arnoldo..." the young singer pleaded weakly,shaking the other's shoulder rather forcefully one last time,earning a very low,weakened groan from the Italian waiter.

"Topa....? Oh you guys are here,I-....don't really know what I expected to f-....find wherever I was just- sent to." Arnoldo said meekly,groggily mumbling and stumbling over words,turning his head to the side with effort and squinting his dark eyes to realize those three Topas from earlier are here to greet him and they brought a 4th friend along.

No Francis,the aspiring cook shouldn't be this surprised and immediately heartbroken at his absence.

Francis must have taken Carlos' side,must be too busy kissing the tall,skinny,blue-eyed teen's knuckles better at the moment to come see him wherever he is.

"Arnoldo,you're okay!!! Wait here,don't fall asleep again,I gotta go find Francis or Nurse Lupe!!!" Topa clapped his hands together in renewed excitement,jumping from the worn out mattress,Arnoldo reached his hand out weakly,failing to grasp at any of the imaginary fleeing Topas on his poor line of sight.

They weren't Francis but still were better than having no one here at all.

"Please,d....don't leave,I don't....really know where I am and.....I'm scared." the aspiring chef managed to admit weakly,tears welling up at the corners of his own eyes,making his vision even blurrier,Topa held on back firmly with both hands to the one large yet very weak and pale,trembling hand that reached out to the brunet musician whose round face was a strange mixture of concern and confusion.

"What- what do you mean,Arnoldo? You're at School! I suppose Carlos punched you so hard it got you like this." Topa stated as best he could,with a restrained voice due to the profound emotion lacing it,squeezing the disoriented teen's cold hand in between his own in a gesture of reassurance and warmth that the young singer himself wasn't sure he really felt or that it would help any matters at all.

Topa felt a strange,deep connection to the stubborn,brunet teen that he couldn't quite understand.

The curly-haired,young musician was sure it couldn't be love-love,after all he didn't think of Arnoldo the same way he thought of Natalio.

Also everyone's somewhat aware of Arnoldo and Francis from a mile away,Natalio and Ricardo can go on and on about how the _Grand Chef_ and the _Great Wizard_ waited all of their lives to finally find each other and are simply meant to be.

So then what is this hard,strong,insistent,beyond overwhelming feeling harshly pulling at Topa's heartstrings at the mere thought of Arnoldo getting severely hurt like this?

Arnoldo hasn't been in Topa's life for that long and the teen singer already can't phantom the idea of losing him,he's not sure why's that and it confuses him to no end.

"YOU DID WHAT????" Topa was forcibly startled out of his wandering thoughts by an outrageous sounding,yelling Francis,who was thankfully not holding the trays anymore,he had given them to Nurse Lupe on their way back here.

Otherwise someone else would be severely hurt and Arnoldo would be ultimately out of food.

"Apa,I...better go,my work here is done." Francis looked outright murderous at the moment and Carlos really didn't want to stay and see what the aspiring magician can do to someone who hurts his Arnoldo.

Even with Carlos being sure he was in the right.

Perhaps the tall drummer can try to amend things with Francis later once all of this is over and maybe put some sense into the short,charming teen about his handsome yet troubled Italian crush.

"Boys,can you discuss this later? We have priorities here!!! Thank you for watching Arnoldo for me,Topa,you're a dear."

"N-  ...No problem,Nurse Lupe." replied a very much shaken Topa,slowly and reluctantly standing up from the bed and distancing himself.

"Is he going to be okay? He doesn't really look okay." the curly-haired singer whispered to a beyond furious looking Francis whose expression softened considerably upon Topa's melancholical words plus clear distress and worry on his close friend's round features,the olive-eyed teen inhaled sharply.

"Hopefully he will be." the younger,raven-haired teen patted Topa's shoulder stiffly in what he hoped came off as a comforting gesture.

"Would you boys stop chatting already over there and help me sit him up at least???!!!" Nurse Lupe shouted from beside the bed,lifting a barely awake Arnoldo up with slight difficulty,the two boys in the room looked extremely guilty and quickly ran over to help the old woman.

* * *

"This is a bit amateur,I have to say and the yogurt could use a few more ingredients,this is so plain and simple but it's  delicious,Francis! When did you have time to make it??? I'm telling you,you would be a great assistant in the kitchen,you could even be a Grand Chef like myself one day!" A weary sounding Arnoldo pointed out pleasantly surprised at Francis' homemade-tasting dessert,he doesn't understand why the responsible teen would hide such remarkable skill from him.

They had been wasting so much time they could be learning a lot from each other Cooking-wise all along! 

"...Thanks,Arnoldo! But it was nothing,really,I just threw together a simple fruit salad really quickly and-" Francis started rambling on rather shyly while feeding a now very much conscious and giddy yet still very tired and weakened Arnoldo another large spoonful.

"Wait,but you're not even a _Regular_ Chef yet." Topa and Nurse Lupe looked back to find Natalio suddenly there at the foot of the bed,grinning sheepshily,interrupting Francis' embarassed,needlessly modest words.

Lupe wasn't surprised,she knows the tall,young handyman too well,Topa still gasps and jumps back everytime,they never hear his footsteps or anything,he just 'magically' materializes wherever he wants to be,the young singer is always very impressed.

"Natalio! You're here!" 

"Well,I'm certain I'm  _going_ to be,it's what I love to do most and what I do best,it's just my destiny,Natalio." Arnoldo said rather smugly,he doesn't really see himself pursuing any other career so what's the point in arguing,really?

He feels lucky his dream is grounded enough,what about Topa and wanting to be the Captain of a huge Monorail painted Rainbow or Francis wanting to be a Famous Magician? 

Some people dream way too big for their own good,Cooking is Reality and a Real Art at that.

Arnoldo awkwardly let Francis feed him another rich spoonful of the salad,he doesn't feel very comfortable letting himself be fed like this,but he found himself without much of a choice or enough energy to really fight back.

He failed himself and Francis,he wasn't strong enough and he sure didn't feel particularly strong at all right now.

Arnoldo tried his hardest not to eat anything to get thinner fast so Francis would finally like him and now the short,aspiring dancer himself is _feeding_ him.

This is the ultimate definition of defeat,if Arnoldo ever witnessed such thing.

"It's not actually a bad idea to try to cook more often,I guess and... Hey! Un momento!!! Don't try to change the subject,mister! _Starving_  was the stupidest idea you've ever had!! You don't know how scared you got me!!! You have to promise me you'll never do that again or try to take anyone else along with you!" Francis said in a restrained yet stern voice that left no room for discussion,Arnoldo bowed his head in shame,chewing on the yogurt soaked papaya and grape slices a bit slower then painfully swallowing them.

Francis' always very expressive soft features looked so worried and angry yet Arnoldo has never seen the younger teen this...f _rightened_.

Why? 

"Especially easily impressionable people like Topa." Natalio remarked easily,already sitted comfortably on the bed beside the aforementioned,brunet boy,distractedly rolling short,thick,dark brown curls which belonged to the young singer around his long,thin fingers.

Topa never let his hair grow too long,like Francis does because people,including Pato kept teasing him about it,it's a shame,honestly.

Topa IS the most pale guy in the entire planet to have 70's style curly hair Natalio has ever seen,which... _is_ admittedly kinda funny,but he looked so much cuter regardless,it's not very fair.

"Especially- Natalio,don't be mean..." Francis smirked,ever intent and focused on the task of feeding Arnoldo more of the fruit salad,the young cook apprentice did appear to enjoy the dessert greatly and seemed to look slightly healthier every other moment but he still didn't look too thrilled,Francis wasn't exactly sure of the reason behind that.

 _He's_ the one who has the rights to be upset at Arnoldo for what the Italian waiter made him go through,not the other way around.

Arnoldo better look happy Francis let him live right this instant or else.

All of them have classes right now and possibly may be in much trouble for missing them.

Yet no one's moving from their spot.

"Sorry,but it's true.You will do anything people tell you to." Natalio stated simply,shrugging a bony shoulder and Topa gasped,feeling absolutely affronted,pulling away from the taller's strong yet affectionate hold.

"I'll have you know I am deeply offended right now." the curly-haired singer exclaimed,crossing his arms and adorning a childish,adorable little pout which Natalio promptly mimicked.

Francis dipped his head and snickered quietly at the two,carefully cleaning the corner's of Arnoldo's mouth with a napkin,the first bowl was finally done with,Francis still had another one which had a surprising amount of fruits in it,considering that Topa and Natalio kept sneaking spoonfuls of it here and there when they thought the curly-haired,responsible teen wasn't looking.

"Don't you two have classes to attend to? He's a Cook,he's going to be fine,those people are immortal,believe me,now go,too many people on my poor bed are going to break it and this school doesn't pay me well enough to buy a new one!" Lupe rolled her weary brown eyes at Topa and Natalio's harmless banter,standing up and shooing the teens away,Natalio took the jar of raspberry juice on their way out.

"Hey! That is-...Arnoldo's..." Francis shouted back to deaf ears,reaching for the remaining bowl,only to have Arnoldo's hand stop the younger's arm halfway through.

"Francis,that's enough,I swear I- I feel much better already!" Arnoldo protested stubbornly,Francis inhaled slowly,running a hand over his own face.

Francis gave a good look at Arnoldo,he may be contemplating for a brief moment if all of the stress the older,brunet teen keeps making him go through is really worth it.

Arnoldo has repeated multiple times and let very clear that he might be more trouble than he's really worth and Francis didn't owe him anything back for what the older teen had done for him the day they met and he _could_ end their friendship any moment he saw fit without any resentment whatsoever from the aspiring cook's part.

Yet the Italian waiter still looked so fragile,pale and tired,his nose bandaged and slightly crooked,bright brown hair in disarray but the shining,familiar,determined fire was evidently back on the older's scared dark brown gaze.

Arnoldo needs him as much as Francis himself needs him,the aspiring dancer is not leaving his side any soon if he can help it.

"I know for a fact you don't! This will barely hold you up for now as it is,unfortunately Lunch is kind of far from now still so,I gotta find a way to make something else quickly..." Francis stated firmly,pondering out loud,if he could find a way to reach Doña Catalina and still keep Arnoldo on sight. 

The Italian brunet is usually very avert to the Lunch Lady's and honestly any stranger's food but this is an emergency and he has no choice but comply,Francis admits to himself he's not that happy about that either,he hasn't tried the woman's food at all ever since Arnoldo happened so he's not that thrilled also.

"Franciiiiiiis,I already said I don't-" the older,large teen whined loudly,only to have another large spoonful shoved into his mouth,this boy is not kidding about taking care of him,the stubborn waiter wanting him to or not.

And Arnoldo is actually very _very_ thankful for it.

He hadn't realized how much he needed a Francis,especially at a moment where he's been completely separated from his real family and has been pretty much left to fend for himself at a new,strange and completely different enviroment from what he was used to for so long.

Meeting Francis just brought so many other people that already became a huge part of Arnoldo's life, _even_ Carlos whose by the end of the day,is not really at fault for being Francis' type instead of him.

 _Arnoldo's_ the one who has to adapt to the new...requirements.

The aspiring magician does so much for him already and most times Arnoldo doesn't really think he deserves any of it at all,Francis could do well without him and the high risks that come with being close to him yet Arnoldo can't help,despite it all to be a little selfish for wanting the raven-haired,responsible teen's attention to be solely-

... _mostly_ on him.

Lupe smiled warmly at the bickering duo,winking at Francis who blushed involuntarily and leaving the room herself,staying by the other side of the door,considering what to do next now that the Future _Grand Chef_ is safe and sound under the excellent care of Francis,the _Great Wizard_ as Natalio,the _Príncipe Azul_ would call him.

Lupe certainly could use someone like Francis as her assistant,boy does a much better job than her most of the time,to be quite honest.

But you didn't hear that from this old nurse. 

She smirked,walking further away from the door to her Nurse Room,maybe it won't hurt to go tell Catalina to serve Lunch a little bit earlier today just to make absolute sure Francis' cute Italian boy makes through.

* * *

"Arnoldo,I'm serious, _promise_ me,you have to promise me you won't make me go through a near heart attack at the age of 15....again." Arnoldo's heart may have fluttered appreciably at the words,Francis was a mess of nerves because of him and it feels nice,especially knowing for a fact he himself would have acted the same or worse even,if something similar happens to his charming,sweet,skilled,attentive-

...Friend.

"Francis,just give me one more chance to try again and I'll-" Arnoldo started pleading with clear desperation to his voice,he could salvage this,he knows he can.

"No." Francis replied adamantly.

"I _promise_  you,Francis,that _THIS_ time it's going to work-" Arnoldo insisted,even if he was completely unable to think up a better idea at the moment.

"No,Arnoldo,we both know better than this by now,so open it,Topa's Monorail coming through...." Arnoldo reluctantly opened his mouth for Francis to feed him once again,he couldn't help but smile warmly at the mention of the _Dream Monorail_.

That most likely will never come to be. 

Arnoldo finally took the bowl and spoon for himself,instantly feeding himself more of the sweet fruit salad,he could live off of this thing alone,is that good.

"Francis,I don't understand you,you don't like the way I look,then I try to lose weight and all you do is get angry at me and feed me delicious food instead.I just don't know what you want from me here,that's all." Arnoldo went back to devouring the dessert eagerly,his genuinely lost and confused tone during this statement baffled Francis to no end and his face demonstrated as such.

"I don't _want_ any of this,Arnoldo,I never said any of this!!! I know I may have expressed myself wrong and there's not a single day I haven't thought about it since then,how silly I have been for trying to fit into some impossible standard for something I don't even know if I want to keep doing anymore but...beside all that..." Francis breathed out slowly,taking the now empty bowl off Arnoldo's hands and putting it aside to interlace their fingers and search for eye contact.

Arnoldo grasped firmly to Francis' hands like a lifeline and met,albeit aprehensively the young,curly-haired teen's teary and honest dark olive gaze,full of sorrow and something more.

"Arnoldo,is it really that hard to realize that I _already_ love you?" Francis whispered in between soft sobs,both of them blushing deep red and looking away as if on cue yet neither let go of their tight,trembling hold on each other.

If Arnoldo found in himself to utter a proper answer at the moment,it would be 'No',Francis is far easier to read than an open book and the young,Italian apprentice has been painfully aware of how much the aspiring magician's main priority has been him for quite some time now.

It's beyond flattering and endearing yet Arnoldo always wondered why Francis wouldn't tell him how he feels,he had always thought the talented teen was just shy about it or afraid of rejection up until those 4 days ago when Francis told the teen apprentice about his own concerns with gaining weight.

Then it all seemed to click perfectly.

If these particular issues weren't in the way before or the curly-haired teen's life wasn't at risk if Arnoldo suddenly decides to pursue his own true feelings towards Francis anyway,the Italian waiter would have asked the younger teen to marry him in a heartbeat.

But now everything is different,Arnoldo could deal just fine when both of them were just 'cluelessly pining' but now Francis voiced his feelings, _really_ voiced his feelings so the older,prideful teen might be feeling a little bit overwhelmed and cornered.

He doesn't want Francis to get hurt and heartbroken by thinking Arnoldo doesn't reciprocate him yet if he does voice it,the consequences could be fatal.

And the Future Grand Chef simply can't afford that to happen.

No matter how amazing it feels to know from Francis' own lips that he doesn't have to change anything about his body or himself to already have earned the skillful teen's love and affection.

Arnoldo could have figured that one out from the very day they met.

He turned back to look at a disheartened Francis,reluctantly taking one hand away from their hold to wipe his own tears with the back of his hand,the older teen hesitantly massaged the hand that remained interlaced with his own,with a large thumb,hoping it was comforting in some way.

"It's unbelievable how I stay one day away from you and you're already causing disaster everywhere you go and almost dying in my arms in the process!!! You're making me question my sanity,question my choices,suddenly what I was so sure I wanted to do isn't that clear anymore!" the charming,talented teen blurted out,fully letting go of Arnoldo's hands and throwing his own arms in the air helplesssly. 

The teen apprentice swiftly reached out for the younger's shoulders,securing Francis in place with both his large hands,rubbing up and down Francis' arms,stopping back up to squeeze the aspiring dancer's shoulders as gently as he could manage,Francis closed his eyes shut,blowing out a ragged,relaxed breath,holding on to the older's forearms carefully to feel more secured in place while trying not to hurt Arnoldo further.

"I'm...really sorry I made you feel that way,Francis,but to be honest you kind of drive me a little bit crazy too a lot of the time." Arnoldo declared,pulling Francis to him,engulfing the aspiring magician in a warm,tight,much needed and welcomed,comforting embrace.

Francis laughed uncontrollably despite it all,muffled against the crook of Arnoldo's neck,laying his head there,rather shamelessly enjoying how nice the aspiring cook's soft skin felt,even if it definitely still felt a little too cold for the raven-haired teen's liking.

Arnoldo's fingers grabbed firmly to the younger's back,no intention of letting go,adoring the heavenly sound and sensation of Francis' gapped-teeth accidentaly grazing against the charming,small mole on his neck while he laughed.

It made Arnoldo finally snap and realize Francis is beyond precious and irreplaceable thus worth fighting for.

They are hopelesssly devoted and loyal to each other,Arnoldo is suddenly way too aware he's not afraid to fight for the two of them.

For their right to be happy,free and together.

There is no going back from this,the price will most definitely be high yet the future Grand Chef realized he found himself willing to pay for it,he grinned brightly and whispered confidently in Francis' ear,gently brushing a few stubborn curls out of his way.

"And I love you so much for that."

* * *

"Francis,Francis,Francis...you didn't have to do this! You really loved those classes! I could cut back on the food if you wanted to,Giuseppe did always used to say I kind of overdo it anyway,even though I don't really believe him..." Arnoldo told Francis after the skilled teen revealed to the brunet,future chef the news of quitting Miss Lila's Ballet and Dance Classes.

Francis is definitely not happy about this very important decision,especially for being something he'd practiced ever since he was a little kid,but ultimately it was really only doing himself and others around him more harm than good.

The curly-haired teen took one of Arnoldo's ever unquiet,agitated hands into one of his own restless ones,squeezing it stiffly yet reassuringly.It became something of a habit long before they even ever considered starting dating so the aspiring magician is really far past caring if they're in the middle of the hallway or out in the street.

It's really just another subtle way of helping each other,Arnoldo and Francis just happen to have many of those to spare.

"It's really not necessary,Arnoldo.I indeed used to love those classes,but this whole situation with Topa that made me feel very self-conscious then you literally dropping dead on my arms,then there was Carlos,all of this only made me realize how miserable I actually was becoming and taking everyone with me just because I was too afraid of not fitting into a piece of clothing.It sounds ridiculous saying it out loud,doesn't it?" Francis ranted with sheer sincerity to his voice and soft features.

"No,it does not.Francis,Arnoldo,I am quitting too.I owe you both and Topa that much." the duo turned back surprised upon hearing the distinct monotone of Carlos' voice.

"And me too!!! Topi and I trained piroueeeettes,free spiiiins,even sommersaults and backflips for 3 whole weeks!!!" Ricardo's excited rambling could be heard right behind Carlos,then the sweet Rulo and his guitarist twin came into view.

"And then..." Francis motioned for the young bassist to elaborate further from where he seemed to have left off.

The curly-haired teen let go of Arnoldo's hand to hold on to the young waiter's arm,subconciously pulling them closer,Arnoldo squeezed the hand grasping on carefully to his injured arm in appreciation,still looking ahead at Ricardo,trying to see if he would finally understand the orange clad twin's explanation for once.

He wouldn't.

"We scored the same on the test!!! Topi was impreeeessive!!! We were all so prooooooud!!! But I passed the test and he diiiidn't,I never stopped to think about it because he said it was okay and that he wasn't that upset anywayyyyy." Ricardo finished sadly,he really believed Topa when the lead singer of the small band Carlos,the Twins and Topa started as a hobby,said that it wasn't a big deal after all.

"Well,apparently he was,upset _and_ desperate enough to listen to Arnoldo's advice!" Carlos laughed loudly and everyone shot death glares at him.

"Que dijo??!!" Arnoldo's head may have started literally fuming,Francis promptly untangled himself from Arnoldo's arm to pat the older teen's shoulder stiffly,discreetly using his other hand to snicker into it.

It doesn't even look like the aspiring magician was ready to murder the young drummer on sight a few days ago.

"Boys,I quit too,it really won't be fun without you guys around." Harmony slowly approached the gathered group by the doors to Lila's Room.

"I quit too!!! Wait what are we quitting?! Is this a rebellion against the system???" Natalio also came close by,draping a long,thin arm over an unimpressed Arnoldo,using his other long arm to pull Topa closer to the group.

"Kind of,yeah,Natalete." replied Rolando casually,charming,dimpled smile ever in place.

"Nice,it's good to see everyone united for a cause,whatever it may be." the young handyman replied excitedly,always eager to help,everyone laughed and shook their heads,realizing too late Natalio may have engulfed everyone present into a warm,group hug.

Aside from Arnoldo and the Twins pretending to feel uncomfortable by the unusual proximity,everyone stayed there for a handful of seconds until...they were unexpectedly interrupted by an ever oblivious Topa.

"Wait...but what _is_ the cause? Why are we all here? Shouldn't you guys be inside for Miss Lila's Class already?" the short-haired singer asked clueless as always,everyone looked nervously to each other,nudging and pushing the other to speak up,Ricardo was the lucky winner being pushed forward by both Rolando and Natalio.

"IDon'tKnowExatclyButIThinkWe'reProtesting-" Ricardo started nervously,he swears it makes sense in his head.

"Qué???" yet Topa and mostly everyone looked puzzled.

"IThinkWe'reProtestingBecauseItWasUnfair-" Ricardo gave another try,he doesn't get it,in his head it came out just fine! 

"What??? I'm really sorry,Ricardo.Would someone else please explain?" Topa waved his hand,looking genuinely apologetic and glancing back to Natalio with big,pleading eyes,the tall-haired future luthier opened his mouth but someone else's voice came out.

"I will." all the teens gasped audibly at the sight of Lila,she has a way of towering over everyone with a strange sense of authority that no one else present can really even start to grasp at it.

"All of you are quitting in protest because you deem my rejection of Topa into my Class unfair." the teens nodded their heads,Francis and Harmony dipped their heads,Topa's eyes were wide,he could not believe all of them did this for him.

Even Francis,he's her Number 1 student! He has trained Ballet with her for over 10 years! 

"You are all absolutely right.I let my decisions get heavily influenced by 'important personalities' from 'more prestigious' schools.That was my biggest mistake." the tall,lean woman with sharp blue eyes addressed the teens in a calm,level-headed tone,she walked closer to the young,curly-haired singer whose was the main reason for all this.

"Topa,I owe you my most sincere of apologies,I legitimately appreciate students who work hard to reach their goals." she patted the short boy's shoulder awkward and stiff,giving the teen a restrained smile,the Ballet teacher with fiery red hair turned to a special quartet of students who are very dear to her.

"Rulo Ricardo,Francis,Harmony,you are my Top 3 students,I kindly ask you to rethink your decision,Carlos,you too,I know you were in this class because you have a real admiration for this art,I've always gave you a choice." Lila finally managed a more natural smile this time.

Carlos reciprocated her with his characteristic toothy grin,she somehow had yet to know about certain... events involving his knuckles and a Future Grand Chef's large nose.

"Rulo Rolando,Natalio, _Arnoldo._ The three of you are invited to apply for my Class any time you want.I know for a fact you three have people who would promptly guide your ways through it." Lila told the set of teens who mostly had no interest in her classes,even if all of them have actual dancing skills of their own to show.

"I suppose I'm done here,we still have 30 minutes left,so if you wouldn't mind going back inside-"

"Miss Lila!" Francis interrupted right as she was about to step back into her room,turning back to the talented teen with most of her masked patience already gone.

"Yes,Francis." she said plainly.

"...My decision is final,I'm not going back,I'm so sorry." Francis lamented,fiddling with the buttons of his light blue jacket,bowing his head,eyes focused on the ground.

Lila sighed deeply,she was not happy about this,no one likes to lose their top student,especially without no real,spoken explanation.

The issue with Topa is over so he has no real reason to leave this suddenly after practicing his whole life,right? 

Lila only wishes she could have gotten something better than a simple 'sorry',she sees this kid as much of a son as she sees Carlos.

She doesn't want to think that Arnoldo or anyone else has been able to influence Francis' decision this strongly which was exactly what got the feist woman to be unfair to Topa in the first place,instead she smiled forcibly and said.

"No resentments,Francis,you are family,I respect your decision and wish you luck in whatever new path you plan to follow through.Don't forget that the doors to my class and my house will always be open,hm?" at least her offer was sincere,why does she feel like she's saying goodbye to the kid? 

He's not moving away or dying or anything,then why is this sharp pang on her chest so insistent? 

"Okay,Miss Lila." Francis said stiffly,tugging his jacket down,the lean woman emerged back inside her room. 

Perhaps she shed a single tear once she was finally alone.

"She _is_ kind of nice,after all.She sort of makes me wish she would consider _me_  family too." Arnoldo mumbled quietly to himself,rubbing one hand over the other,once Lila was gone,still everyone heard him loud and clear. 

"I know she does,Arnoldo,because Francis and I do." Carlos stated in his usual tone,patting Arnoldo's head.

"Me too,Arnoldo!!!" Topa practically jumped the Italian apprentice,hugging him tightly.

"So do weeee..." said Ricardo,joining in the hug,Rolando shrugged and followed,soon did Harmony and Natalio who pushed Francis into the large embrace yet again.

Arnoldo laughed despite himself,shaking his head,pulling everyone even closer,Carlos' chin resting over his head,these people just like to constantly touch and hug so much.

They feel like...home.

"Hey,Arnoldo,we're your family away from home,aren't we?" inquired Topa,muffled from somewhere around them,seemingly inbetween Ricardo and Francis to be a bit precise.

"Si,tu sei."

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had this idea and started working on it long before realizing Arnoldo actually was barely even shown eating anything on the show itself,which is something we definitely can't say about Francis,turns out.  
> This did not need to be this long and I struggled so much with it for being that personal of an issue.  
> As the usual 'writer' who always think they could have done more/better,I still think this mostly sucks.  
> But hey,it's finally out of my system and I can move on.


End file.
